“The miracle is that the universe created a part of itself, to study itself, and that this part in studying itself finds the rest of the universe in its own natural inner realities.”
As an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware, my research, teaching, and service focus on understanding how individuals can build resilience to cope with stress, especially in response to difficult life experiences. Central to my work is the examination of the reciprocal relationships between interpersonal communication and biology. This foundation informs my research on topics such as disclosure, forgiveness, and social support, as well as my exploration of biosocial models to understand the physiological effects of coping with difficult communication.
I am part of a small cohort of scholars pioneering the study of the physiology of interpersonal communication. Through this work, I am training graduate students in cutting-edge methods to explore how interpersonal interactions shape both communication processes and health outcomes. My research has been published in leading communication journals (e.g., Human Communication Research, Communication Monographs) and in top health and relationships journals (e.g., Health Communication, Personal Relationships). I am honored to have received the 2020 Early Career Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
Currently, my research projects are funded by the Villanova University Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society (WFI) and the National Institute on Aging (NIH). I am also proud to be the recipient of the 2020 Faculty Diversity Fellowship from the Center for the Study of Diversity at the University of Delaware.